The Gunslinger

An elf sits silently in the trees waiting for his target. He holds his breath as the cultist is bringing the knife to the prisoner's neck. The trigger squeeze feels weightless as the shot rings out. The slug flies through the air and meets its mark right between the eyes of the cultist. He falls to the ground before he can complete the sacrifice.

Three thieves stumble out of a wizard’s tower with sacks full of loot. They turn right into a sheriff and two deputies. They draw their weapons but the sheriff is too fast. Before they can blink, three shots ring out. Two of the thieves see their daggers fly from their hands while the third looks down to see a hole in his chest.

A dwarf gunman overlooks a field where an undead horde is advancing on the gates. He mutters an incantation and runes on the barrel of his blunderbuss start to glow a flaming red. He takes aim and a fireball launches from the barrel of his gun. Decimating the horde below. 

 A New Weapon For A Civilized Age

The Gunslinger is a patient warrior. They will often stay at the back of a battle, carefully selecting the right target and time to strike. While most are trained in the use of basic weapons, the Gunslinger is at their most deadly when their signature weapons. While a gunfighter can use any firearm with ease, some will specialize in long range firearms, choosing to fight from the shadows. Others will chose to use their speed and agility with one or two smaller firearms to decimate their enemies. Still some have found a way to challenge arcane power through their weapons augmenting an already awesome power. The gunfighter can make a significant impact on the battlefield, as long as their weapons do not malfunction.

Distrust and Respect

While nearly anyone could pick up a gun and fire it, the Gunslingers spend much of their lives honing their skill with their weapon.A unique trait to a Gunslinger is the at they must know how to maintain their weapon. Most Gunslingers even craft their own weapons as firearms are a new inventions and difficult to find. 

Many gunslingers can be found in service. Cities large enough to stand a military will employ small units marksman and to carry out reconnaissance and sap due the their expertise in explosives. Some can also be found presiding as sheriff over many smaller towns. There is still a general mistrust toward any that wield a firearm due to the damage the are capable of.

Creating a Gunslinger

The Gunslinger is a group of archetypes that use the Fighter class with some adjustments. Note: The Eldritch Knight also works well as a gunslinger build. When creating a Gunfighter, think about where your character comes from as well as how they learned to of firearms. Talk with your DM to about a appropriate origin for firearms in the world. Has your Gunslinger invented the first gun, or are guns an important part of defense in the society? For a Gunslinger, where you obtained your weapons can be just as important as which weapons you choose to use. What lead you to become an adventurer? Are you a lawman hunting down a dangerous criminal? Are you an operative sent on a special mission from the local Lord? Perhaps you are an inventor on a path of vengeance. 

Quick Build

You can make a Gunslinger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, Your next-highest score should be Wisdom if you plan to follow the Way of the Lawman or Way of the Marksman, or Intelligence if you plan to follow the way of the Gunmage. Second, choose the Soldier or Folk Hero background.

Options for Fighting Styles

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. 

• Long Gun: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with a 2-handed firearm.
• Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. 
• Dueling: When you are wielding a single one handed firearm and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
• Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

The Lawman is unshakable. They are able to stare down the greatest dangers with unwavering will. They prefer to stare into the eyes of their enemy. Specializing in smaller firearms, they use their superior speed and dexterity to strike first unleashing a hail of bullets before their enemy can react.

Firearm Proficiency

Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms, allowing you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms.

Gunsmith

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Gunsmith's Tools (Tinker’s Tools). You may use them to craft ammunition at half the cost, repair damaged firearms, or even draft and create new ones (DM’s discretion). Some extremely experimental and intricate firearms are only available through crafting.

Firearm Properties

Firearms are a new and volatile technology, and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Firearms are ranged weapons.

Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack or 1 action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.

Misfire. Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.

Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.

Penetration. Upon a hit, if the damage reduces the target to 0 hp, the ammunition will pass through the target and hit an additional target. The hit will use the initial attack roll to determine if the attack hits the additional target. Any attacks after the initial will deal half of the initial attacks damage. The ammunition can continue to travel in this manner until it hits a target and does not reduce the target to 0 hp or it has reach the maximum range of the firearm. (regular range, not extended range unless another skill or feat allows you to ignore disadvantage on attacks up to the weapon's maximum range. 

Scatter. An attack is made against each creature within a 30ft cone. These attacks are simultaneous. If an affected creature is adjacent to you, they suffer double damage on a hit. 2 pieces of ammunition are used when making this type of attack. This attack cannot be affected by any of your shot enhancing features.

Ammunition

All firearms require ammunition to make an attack, and due to their rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each firearm uses its own unique ammunition and is generally sold or crafted in batches listed below next to the price.

Firearms

 

Name	Cost	Ammo	Damage	Weight	Range	Properties
Palm Pistol	50g	2g (20)	1d8 piercing	1 lb.	(40/160)	Light, reload 1, misfire 1
Pistol	150g	4g (20)	1d10 piercing	3 lb.	(60/240)	Reload 4, misfire 1
Musket	300g	5g (20)	1d12 piercing	10 lb.	(120/480)	Two-handed, reload 1, misfire 2
Pepperbox	250g	4g (20)	1d10 piercing	5 lb.	(80/320)	Reload 6, misfire 2
Blunderbuss	300g	5g (5)	2d8 piercing	10 lb.	(15/60)	Reload 1, misfire 2
Bad News	Crafted	10g (5)	2d12 piercing	25 lb.	(200/800)	Two-handed, misfire 3, explosive
Hand Mortar	Crafted	10g (1)	2d8 fire	10 lb.	(30/60)	Reload 1, misfire 3, explosive

Grit

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to perform powerful maneuvers to disable or damage your opponents using your firearms.

Grit Skills. You learn three Grit Skills of your choice, which are detailed under “Grit Skills” below. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. Each use of a Grit Skills must be declared before the attack roll is made. You can use only one Grit Skills per attack.

You learn an two additional Grit Skills of your choice at 6th level, 11th level, and 13th level. By 17th level you may choose from any grit ability available to the class.

Grit. You gain a number of grit points equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your proficiency modifier (minimum of 1). You regain 1 expended grit point each time you roll a 20 on the d20 roll for an attack with a firearm, or deal a killing blow with a firearm to a creature of significant threat (DM’s discretion). You regain all expended grit points after a short or long rest.

Saving Throws. Some of your trick shots require your targets to make a saving throw to resist the trick shot’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

   Trick Shot save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier

Quick Draw

Starting at 7th level, your lightning reflexes and awareness allow you to escape your enemies. On your turn, you can use your bonus action to take the Disengage action. You can also stow a firearm then draw a one-handed firearm as a single object interaction on your turn. 

Disruptor Shot

At Level 10, your keen senses to slow the world around you and see when an enemy is preparing an attack. As a reaction, you can spend two grit point to take a shot at an attacking enemy. If the shot hits, the enemy’s attack misses. If the enemy is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and fizzles out without taking effect. 

Fan the Hammer

At 15th level, you gain the ability to fill a cone shaped area with hot lead. Once per turn, when you take the Attack action and attack with a firearm that has at least five shots left, or when you have firearms within reach that have a combined minimum of five shots, You expend all available shots and cause all enemies within a cone the size of the shortest normal range of those firearms to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency) or take damage as if hit by 1d4 attacks with the most damaging firearm used to make this attack. On a successful save, you take half the total damage.

True Grit

At 18th level, you select two of your other abilities that require you to spend grit points. The cost of both of those abilities is reduced by 1 grit point, to a minimum of 0 grit points (in which case it makes those abilities free). In addition, when you perform a daring act, you now regain 2 grit points.

Hemorrhaging Critical

Upon reaching 18th level, whenever you score a critical hit on an attack with a firearm, the target additionally suffers half of the damage from the attack at the end of its next turn.

Grit Skills

The grit skills are presented here in alphabetical order.

Cheat Death

You gain the ability to evade certain death through sheer force of will. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend 3 grit points to drop to 1 hit point instead. (This skill requires level 6 to use)

Combat Reload

On your turn, you can spend 1 grit point to reload as a bonus action.

Counter Strike

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to spend 1 grit point to make an attack with advantage against the creature. You must have a one handed firearm within reach to use this skill.

Deadeye

You can spend 1 grit point to gain advantage on the next attack roll you make with a firearm this round.

Entangling Shots

This skill can only be used in a weapon with the scatter property. Spend 1 grit point to affect all creatures in a cone with a size equal to the weapon’s scatter, but instead of weapon damage, all creatures within the cone must succeed on a Strength saving throw ({{savedc:wis}}) or be  restrained and take half weapon damage.

Evasion

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can spend 1 grit point to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Feint

When you take an attack action, you can spend 2 grit points forgo your attack to distract your opponent and allow one of your companions to strike. Choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you to immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack with advantage.

Kill Shot

When you score a critical hit on an attack roll with a firearm, you can spend 3 grit points to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw  ({{savedc:dex}}). If it fails the saving throw and has 100 hit points or fewer, it dies. Otherwise, it suffers the normal effect of a critical hit. (This skill requires level 17 to use)

Menacing Shot

You can spend 2 grit points to use one of your attacks to shoot a firearm in the air. All enemies within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw ({{savedc:wis}}) or be frightened as if affected by the fear spell. If an affected creature ends it turns in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to you, it can make a Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.

Parry

When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend 1 grit point to reduce the damage by 1D6 + your Dexterity modifier. This increases to 1d8 at 5th level, to 1d10 at 10th level and to 1d12 at 15th level.

Startling Shot

You can spend 1 grit point to purposely miss a creature you would normally hit with one of your attacks in order to grant advantage on all attack rolls on the target until the start of your next turn (including any other attack rolls you may make this round). You can use this ability once per round. 

Stun Shot

When you hit a target with an attack roll with a firearm, you can spend 2 grit points to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw ({{savedc:wis}})). If it fails the saving throw, it is stunned until the start of your next turn. 

Violent Shot

You’ve discovered ways to push your firearms past their intended potential at the peril of damaging them. You can spend 1 or more grit points before making an attack roll with a firearm. For each grit point spent, you take a -5 to hit. If the attack hits, you can roll one additional weapon damage die per grit point spent when determining damage of the attack.